Passing judgment on everything

Here’s to an experimental 2014: Experiment one – the room

As I tried to get to sleep on the penultimate day of last term I had visions of a new classroom layout. I started to think about where I would move furniture to and how I could arrange the tables to better support learning for all the different types of learners I accommodate in my room. Needless to say on the last day of term I could not leave until I had realised my vision.

In a mad panic I plugged the iPod in and set to work moving furniture and tables in alignment with my ideas. I have moved from a symmetrical double horseshoe layout in which the tables relentlessly marched forward, effectively cutting off whole corners from me. These days are over.

My vision sprang from an understanding that the majority of classes have students who are quiet but need individual attention and others who are loud yet relatively independent. I wanted to create a space which catered for both types. I have therefore divided my classroom into two. On one side I have rows and the seating plan will enable facing and side partners and on the other I have ‘islands’. This also supports those who are more comfortable in group settings and those who are better facing forward and who need their own space. The idea is that I can swap each side depending on if a task can help the quieter students gain confidence in working with groups.

It is certainly an experiment and the room looks a little unconventional, and I will have to tweak the seating arrangements depending on students’ performance, but in my mind it should create an holistic learning environment where all my students feel safe.

I have also moved my desk from one side of the room to the other so that I can now see the entire learning landscape and everyone in it.

It feels like my space now; it has my mark on it. And I am certain that no one will be totally cut off from me anymore, even if the desks do all march forward over time!